THE DAWN
INTRODUCTION
A child is born out of frugal and delicate comfort of his mother’s womb. An atmosphere of oblivion yet embraced with compassion and love.
Snottily saddled in his mother’s arms, a paltry whimper heralds the dawn of the no new ordinary being – a man.
Man is not the author of his birth, yet he is to turn the pages of his existence. Existence that would put him either on the brim of the grave or to the summit of the earth.
Why is their so much trouble in this world? Is man designed for peace and harmony for love and unity? Or a man has a naturally evil lurking in his soul that keeps his society afloat amidst the turbulent sea of social dilemma.
On the other hand, man lives his life like a dove amidst ravenous wolves. He often sees fangs rather than nuggets. He sees himself nestled naked, quivering and cold upon burning furnace of intimidation, fear and death. Thus, he needs to coat himself, gear-up with tough armor and taint himself with the “gruesome bloodshed” of competition for security, preservation and esteem of the world.
However, though imperfections and menacing irregularities of our society do exist, and the way man relate to other man is in a sort of self-interested motive or in a hungry competition, the author would like to reconcile things as giving leeway to the philosopher’s ideology to come-up with the fairly tenable condition of mankind, trying to sympathize to the advocate of man in a rational thrust. After all we are laid in the world with considerable uncertainty mobilized by faith and reason.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The theses will underscore man’s Natural Condition as accorded by Thomas Hobbes’ notion of man. Whether, a man is Naturally Evil; a wolf or a sinister to his fellow; a cause of too much trouble and indignation, as is being painted grotesquely in a distorted societal canvass.
The researcher, together with the other thinkers will together interplay and intertwine ideas, evaluating Hobbes’ thoughts as a point of departure in the course of our brainstorming. Together we’ll endeavor the following respectively:
1.What is the Nature of Man according to Thomas Hobbes?
I. Elements of Thomas Hobbes Psychological Theory
II. Good and Evil according to the Mechanistic Psychological Theory
III. Self-preservation as Determinant of Felicity, and of the Binary Truth – Good and Evil
IV. Principal Causes of Quarrel
2.What is the Natural Condition according to Thomas Hobbes?
I. Consequences grounded on the Natural Condition of Man
I.1 The Absence of a Fundamental Universal Imperative
I.2 Subjective Futility of Private Property
I.3 Perpetual Warfare
I.4 Absence of the Essential Social Foundations
II. Resolution by the Instrumentality of Reason
II.1 Lex Naturalis
II.2 Jus Naturale
II.3 The Covenant
III. The Golden Role
SCOPE AND LIMITATION
The research holds at least two prominent subjects that are put into the crucible of scrutiny; man and conflict; that also includes the elements that constitutes to them. The breadth of the research embodies man’s natural constitution that is in particular, man’s nature as ‘good’ or ‘evil’, whether the proceeding upshots (such as the different faces of social crimes) are just a practical sequel of these human dispositions.
These arguments are formalized under the light of Thomas Hobbes’ conviction, his notion of man which is the point of departure of his situatedness in a wider copy, the “Natural Condition”– war against all.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
Social crimes, intimidation, terrorism, political malefaction, moral disparage and an ostensibly Godless society are conglomerate hues that give sound colour to the existence of war. War that placed man at stake on an infernal existence.
The researcher, as a conscious element himself amidst this said weary world, wonder along the great planes of these derogating social phenomena all the way troding the interminable horizons of philosophical scruples and down-to-earth convictions, to at least open the doors to a peaceful dawn, wherein, in the noblest outset, even the most insignificant animals in the world enjoy domestic tranquility.
Hence the significance of this research lies within the resonance of the cause of these demeaning phenomena; to clear in our consciousness the cobweb of confusions over the primordial exponent of these soul-bugging events, which is man himself, more in particular, his nature. And the apparent aftermath of this vulnerable research endeavor presents as another fundamental synthesis.
SURVEY OF RELATED LITERATURE
Fortunately, my philosopher is just lying over-the-counter. Upon surveillance, I’ve found at least three papers using Thomas Hobbes. Although relevant, the crux of their study is on the famous political scruples of Hobbes. However, there’s a book which definitely contained details to back-up my thesis, an anthology of several ethical and moral contribution of some renowned philosophers (by: Albert, Denise and Peterfreud.
Great Traditions in Ethics. Fifth Edition, Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1984.) and a compilation of sources by virtue of modernized electronic literature – the internet. They are my main sources of this endeavor.
METHODS OF GATHERING DATA
This work uses the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary student library to gather viable data (besides the books that the researcher personally owns). The researcher uses also the aid of the World Wide Web to maximize the mechanization and technical making of this paper.
TREATMENT OF STUDY
In every remarkable man-made catastrophe within the circle of mankind, it is always remarkable to note, however, that it is man – the microcosmic being himself – underscores the universal conflict among them. It is an outburst within the soul, which acknowledges the blot of the painful dilemma we experience in a wider copy.
The chronology of the research may adopt an inductive methodology before porting to a wider scale, so as to elucidate a firm grasp on the central concern.
Thomas Hobbes’ brainchild on the nature of man and of mankind’s natural condition gives rise to the foundation of this research. I acknowledge that Thomas Hobbes frankly exhibited man’s obvious and darker upbringing as reflected in ‘man in the state of war, as though he is an untamed beast.
His notions draw a considerable tantrum and contempt on every ‘optimistic’ philosophical faculties and advocates, though it’s a hard-won reality to deny his conviction. Thus, to unravel a sound appraisal, a considerable evaluation will underscore this study.
DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
Self-interest – behavior or activity which enhances its exhibitor’s survival or esteem but can appear more as altruism than as selfishness, because understanding of a larger system has altered the decisioning process such that the surroundings or substrate are enhanced, thus improving the nurturing capacity.
- this is an ethical term that points toward the human tendency to give the highest priority to satisfying personal goals.
Endeavors – “an animal motion”, that is, predisposition to act in a certain direction.
Desire - one to the most important kind of endeavors. Move one to pursue object.
Aversion – one of the most important kinds of endeavor. Move one to avoid object.
Powers – the means of attaining the objects of desire.
Contempt – things which we neither desire nor hate.
Self-Protection – a state on nature, the first and only rule in life in which human beings have natural right to do which serves this end.
